Edna Davis-Herring, Advisor
When we asked retired superintendent Edna Davis-Herring to cite her most valued accomplishments, she didn’t hesitate. “I loved the five years I served as principal of Eisenhower High in Rialto USD. The team we built inspired those kids to shine. And their accomplishments were recognized in 1994 when we won a California Distinguished School award, and the Hispanic Magazine-Ryder National School of Excellence Award.” Edna is a leader who remembers results.
The talent she showed in bringing her high school to national prominence was visible to others. The first to court her was the Louisiana Department of Education, where she evaluated teachers and school systems. Eager to return to site leadership, she moved to Colorado, where she opened and led a middle school, and joined the leadership team of an alternative high school.
But in 2002, when Rialto’s board went searching nationally for a new superintendent, they courted Edna back home to San Bernardino. She took command, and made changes modeled on her success with Rialto’s Eisenhower High. Community leaders at the Rialto Chapter of Business and Professional Women’s Association took note, and recognized her as a “Woman of Achievement.” Just two years later, the Association of California School Administrators honored her with the Region 12 Superintendent of the Year award. No wonder. In the seven years of her superintendency, the district raised its API 186 points, a stunning gain.
In 2007, the Los Angeles County Alliance of Black School Educators’ (LAABSE) named Edna their Outstanding Leader in Education. On leaving Rialto, she launched an independent consulting practice, focused on leadership coaching. She is also a motivational speaker on topics most relevant to women, youth and African-Americans.
Edna brings her energy and talent to community service, as well. She serves as a board member with the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County, Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties. She also serves as chairwoman of Arrowhead United Way Women’s Leadership Council.
As advisor to the Owl Corps, Edna brings 38 years of education experience and a lifetime of commitment to kids. Her several years of graduate study in Spain and Mexico left her with an appreciation for multilingual literacy. And her sense of justice and responsible management is what leads her to view assessment as a required core competence for leadership.
